davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-06-30

According to his usual luck, the general was
absent when the battle of Malvern Hill began.
With the changed front, Porter's corps was
on the left, Skirted in an oval around Nal.
Vern Hill were the other F.deral troops: Couch's
division on the right of Peter, next Kearney and
Hooker, next Sedgwick aud Richardson, next
Smith and Siocum then the remainder of keyes
corps. Gen. Mcclellan himself had ordered this
disposition of troops.
The Confederates were in close pursuit. At 1
O'Clock their advance was seen. They were ranged
il this order: Magruder and Hager on the Con-
tederate right, while circling after them to the
left We're Jackson, Ewell, Whiting and d. II.
Hill. Longstreet and A. 2. Hill were in the rear
too weary to fight
The Confederates had been ordered by Gen
Lee to charge with yell' if the Federal line
was broken. Next they were to advance with
fixed bayonets and drive the invaders into the
James." But the shouting did not come off
Gen. Armistead who to carry out this part
of the programme, advanced to point where he
could not come on or go back, and his troops lay
gown upon the ground to escape the artillery fire
The first attack was made upon Porter and
Couch. bIorel's division of Porters coIps and
Couch's division of Keyes' bore the brunt of the
battle.
The Confederate plan was to take Malvern Hill
by assault. But tier after tier Of Union artillery
rase above the heads of the Confederates and
poured a deadly fire into them. The Federal gum
boats in the river aided the artillery in the hills
and the Confederates were driven back with
slaughter and confusion. Three desperate as
saults were made upon the hills in vain. With
the darkness the broken Confederates drew off
and gave up the fight The day was decided by
the tiers Of Federal artillery among the hills
Once more, July 2, McClellan's generals be-
lieved that he could have advanced and taken
Richmond. But he did not On the contrary hs
moved all his army to Harrison's landing three
miles down, and wrote to Washington for re-en-
forcements, OF the 10000 men which had posi-
lively been furnished him he reported that he
had only $1,000 left
OF Lees 89,162 men, he lost in killed and
wounded during the seven days fighting. includ-
ing Malvern Hill, is, 400 The lighting through.
ouV was awful and bloody without decisive result
on either side. Six weeks of inaction followed
OF the leading generals who took part in this ter
rible campaign few are left The Army and
Navy Journal keeps record of them Sumner
died during the war. Heintzelman died recently
H Washington, u retired army officer Gen Nc
Call still lives engaged in civil pursuits, in Penn
sylvania Gen. Keyes is also living, engaged in
civil pursuits too Gen. Ccacn, at the age of S5,
resides in Hartford Conn.
The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-06-30
Magruder's attack ceased. Summers corps

Magruder's attack ceased. Summers corps
then moved nearer Savage station.
McClellan's destruction of the Chcka-
hominy bridges had retarded the pursuit by
Jackson, who was on the north side of the
river. He did not get over till the morning
of the 30th.
Meantime, on the afternoon of the goth,
Magruder again attacked the Federal forces
around Savage Station. He says he had
1900 men. Thus, with Huger's division
pursuing McClellan's army, Richmond was
quite denuded of troops.
The Federal forces grouped around Savage
station in the battle of that name were Frank
Inns corps, with Smith and Slocum as division
commanders, Summers corps, and McCall's
division of Franklin's corps. Hentzelman
had been ordered by Sumner to take position
on the left but Heintzelman simply withdrew
his corps, and took no part in the battle OF
Savage Station. He said there was not room
for so many troops, so he destroyed the stores
at Savage station and started for the James.
1t was well known that there was no love
lost between Heintzelnan and Sumner.
Lee had expected jackson to take part in
the action at Savage station, but jackson had
not yet been able to rebuild the Grapevine
bridge and so Magruder fought alone. AT
$50 Magruder brought his forces into action.
With them was the peculiar rified cannon
which the Confederates called the Land Mer
rinac.n 1t was mounted upon car, and the
front of it was covered with a sloping iron
roof, from which shots ratified harmlessly off.
The sides were protected with arnor plate,
over which was another covering of heavy
wood,
Just before sunset Magruder's Confederates
made a rush for the Union forces at Savage
station. The LAND Merrimac" was used
with great effect. They were met with a
heavy fire from the Union line. Then for
half an hour there was nothing but roar and
smoke and deadly fire. At the end of that
time the Confederate lines were broken.
They gave way, fell back and left the road to
| White Oak swamp open for the Federal re-
| treat to the James. The retreat was con-
| tinued as soon as the wounded could be
! gathered up, and Summers and Franklin's
corps went Oh their way, through White
! Oak swamp, leaving behind them Savage
| Station, with its huge hospital Of sick and
wounded and its medical stores. This was
| McClellan's order 1t fell into the hands of
| Stonewall jackson next morning, with its
! $500 men.
! In the battle of Savage station the Con-
| fedarateS lost 4 600 men, the FederalS 5000
The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-06-30


plies. He therefore prepared to strike Nc.
Clellan at White House, on the Pamunley.
He sent Ewell and Stuart to that point to
seize the railway and war supplies They
were a day too late. The stores had been
mostly removed, and such as could not be
carried away were destroyed. The White
House itself had been burnt. The night Of
the 2Sth of June, it suddenly dawned on Lee
that Mcclellan had changed his base, and
was in retreat to the James, with the inteu-
lion Of drawing supplies by that way. He
determined TO SEND his army if pursuit at
once
Then came the next battles in this ghastly
serial-the fights of Aliens Farm and Savage
Station and the affair at Willis church, all
june "a.
With all haste Mcclellan had retreated to-
Yard the James, He gave orders that all
supplies which could not be quickly conveyed
should be destroyed. Says Gen. Webb, in
the peninsula Campaign Lines of fire
marked the camps and depots of the Union
troops. Millions of rations, hundreds of tons
Of fixed ammunition and shells for the siege
guns were thus lOst.n
June 30 NIcClellan's headquarters We're re-
moved from Savage station to the James
river side of White Oak swamp. The line Of
retreat can be seen on the map of the seven
days battle ground. The same day Sumner
abandoned Fair Oaks and also dropped south
ward, to Orchard station. By following the
line of march on the map the reader will see
that their moves were in a direction away
from Richmond.
"Ah, there was time for you" says one OF
the old boys of the army Of the Potomac, who
limps about with bullet wound in his leg,
in ba haiti N
fight all day and march all night
SO desperately bent on reaching the
James was Mcclellan that he left his sick
and wounded who could not be moved be-
hind him in a hospital at Savage station,
where taey would inevitably be taken by the
COnfederates.
Sumner and Heintzelman's corps were at
ALIENS farm, near Orchard station on the
morning of June %. That morning Lees
army started IN pursuit Of the retreating
Feaerals. Huger and Magruder started out
Magruder by the Williamsburg road, which
led eastward to Savage station, Huger by
the Charles City road, which led southeast
ward TO Glendale. These and Longstreet and
A. 7. Hill were to attack Oh the right, while
jackson was to cross the Chickahominy In
the rear of the Federals and pursue from the
north
Mcclellan, i'll arranging his retreat, had
ordered Keyes to 90 forward first and take
position on Malvern Hill, near the James,
Porter and Franklin were to follow, and SO,
watching the rear and the right, they were
to push on to the James. This was the
morning of the Goth. Mcclellan himself had
already ridden on toward the James, to Sc
lect suitable position. The heaviest supplies
were already well on the way. Among them
was drove of $500 beef cattle, which were
got off in safety.
The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-06-30


massing in front. Anon Franklin discovered
heavy columns ON his right. By this mastery
Confederate tactics the corps commanders
were kept expecting an attack all day, and
prevented from sending aM to Porter.
Again, at sunset, Porter. still desperately
fighting, sent for help. Could it be spared!
Mcclellan asked. Then Sumner sent Frenchs
and Thomas Francis Meagher's brigades, but
confessed that he thought he was running a
risk to do it.
The two brigades dashed across the bridges
and up the bluff toward Gaines Mill with
shout and cheer, Meagher, the lively Irish
general, at their head in his shirt sleeves, the
soldiers tell,
But then it was too late.
Porter's terribly cut up line had broken ia
the center at last. The soldiers who had
fought so bravely and so long were rushing
peia4slI toward the Chickahomiuy, in full
rout The comrades who had come to save
The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-06-30

that fated Goth of June was at Willis
church, near Glspdale. Il was 9 sharp
skirmish with Confederate cavalry on the
Quaker road, by which Mcclellan was re-
treating. With the great number of Con-
federates drawing nearer and nearer to his
right, and Jacbson's men after him in the
rear. this retreat of Mcclellan to the James
was no childs play
June 80 Mcclellan had reached his new
headquarters at Malvern hill, near the
james But the army of the Potomac had
by no means arrived there. 1t had yet more
fighting before it ere it rested on the James.
In this bloody retreat fighting enough was
done and lives enough were sacrificed to have
taken Richmond many times over if the Fed
eral generals had only known how to do it.
Three roads leading out from Richmond
intarcept the Quaker road By which McCiel-
Ian retreated. When Keyes began his retreat,
he fortunately discovered an old road run
ming parallel with the Quaker road. He
struck that, and by hurrying his men along
il. reached Malvern Hill speedily. A double
line Of troops was thus alao formed against
the Confederates. The two routes appear on
the map.
There was d constant danger of attack by
the Confederates along the cross roads, al
ready mentioned, leading from Richmond,
namely, the Charles City. Central and New
market roads. As soon as Lee discovered
the line of McClellan's retreat he ordered
Hill and Longstreet to recross to the south
side Of the Chickahominy and follow south
and intercept the Federals. The Central road
rams into Long Bridge road, ana that crosses
t1e Quaker road. At the intersection of the
Long Bridge and Quaker roads Hill and
Eongstreet found part of the Federal forces.
A mile further on, at the junction of the
Newmarket and Quaker roads, McCalrs divi-
! sion was posted.
Then took place the sixth contest Of the
seven days' iighting-the battle Of Glendale,
sometimes called also the battle Of Nelson's
! Farm-Monday, June so. 1t is called, too,
the battle of Frazier's Farm,
! Ii all the stubborn fighting of the PENN
! sula tue absence of the commanding general
| from 50 many of the seyerest fights is matter
| of fute. While his corps commanders, and
in some cases division and brigade generals,
were bearing the brunt of battle without a
leader as best they might, Mcclellan was apt
to be off somewhere else, experimenting the
! throwing up of intrenchments or the selection
Of headquarters or doing engineers work 1t
was unfortunate foe his fame as a military
commander.
| On the perilous retreat to the James he
went ahead, to Malvern Hill, to James river
and the gunbcats. During the bloody fight
at Glendale the general in chief knew nothing
about ii till late at night. He had been part
of the day at his headquarters at Malvern
| Hill and part of the time upon a gunboat.
| In the battle at Glendale Gen. Philip Kearney
! distinguished himself He was one of the most
The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-06-30

Oak Grove, in which the Union forces were
victorious, and picSets from Heintzelmans
and Summers corps were posted within four
miles of Richmond.
The generalship of Gems. Lee and Stone
wall Jackson at this time commands admira-
ton. After finishing his movements in the
Shenandoah Valley, Jackson wrote to john
ston this significant letter, dated June 6:
"Should my command be required at Rich
mond, l can be at Mechanics Run depot, on
the Central railr Dad, the second days march. y
Lee, in command when the letter was re-
ceived wrote him back that if lie could leave
the valley, and 'could deceive the enemy" SO
as to make him believe he was still in tho
Shenandoah region, to come OIL
The two generals hit on the plan Of appar
emily sending re-enforcements from Richmond
to the Shenandoah, to jackson, giving the
impression that jackson still meditated mis-
chief in the valley. In reality, he was to
meet the re-enforcementS and hurry back with
them TO Richmond Lawtons and Writings
commands were marched out of Richmond
with flourish, care being taken that the
Federals should be aware of it. At Harris
burg jackson met them June II, and ali
started back to Richmond Tho plan was Il
complete success, and it was this trick which
for the third time prevented Mcdowell from
joining the army of the Potomac.
1t is to be noted that Secretary Stanton
only, of all the Federal managers, was not de-
ceived by the ruse, but declared that Jack
sons real movement was toward Richmond
Everybody was undeceived when, June 26,
Mcclellan hastily telegraphed that his picketS
were being driven in north of the Chicka-
hominy.
Until then, day after day, it had been tele-
graphed to Washington, "All quiet in
the army of the Potomac" So bent on
having additions to his army had Nc
Clellan been that June 10 he had tele-
graphed Secretary Stanton, advising
that considerable force be detached from
HaIleck's western department and sent to
him Long before this, early ia March, Nc
Clellan had been relieved from duty as COM
mander of all the armies of the United States,
and made commander only of the army of
the Potomac. This was done, il vas claimed
by President Lincoln, in order that the
general might give all his time to the war in
Virginia. Mcclellan regarded it as humilia-
ton, and says: "The order proved to be one
of the steps taken to tie my hands in order to
secure the failure of the approaching cam
paign." He believed that it emanated from
Secretary Stanton. and wa1 issued out of
spite.
There was at that time no commander In
chief of all the armies. Thsre were three in
dependent departments, with Mcclellan in
the east or Potomac department, Fremont in
the central one, called the mountain depart
ment and Halleck over that west of the
Mississippi. called the department of the
Mississippi.
From the time he made the brilliant cavalry
dash around the army of the Potomac till the
The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-06-30
THE SEVEN DAYS.
June, 1887. Brings Back Their
Quarter Centenary.
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC
Splendid Fighting OH the Bloody Re.
treat to the James River.

The Desperate Fights of MechanicsviHe,
Gaines Mills, Savage Station, Glen
dale and Malvern HiII-The Route
from Yorktown to the James Strewn
with Soldiers Graves.
After the battle of Fair Oaks, both armies
rested while. Hardly had Summers corps
crossed to the south side of the Chicka-
honliny, May 81, 1862, when the Chicka-
hominy rose in mighty flood and swept all
before it, Summers Grapevine bridge in
cluded. If the flood had come in the fore
noon of that day at Fair Oaks instead Of
toward evening, the corps of McClellan's
army south of the stream would have been
cat to pieces.
Only the railway bridge was left across the
Chiekahominy, and over this were brought
supplies for the corps-Keyes, Heitzelman's
and Sumner's-on the south side of the
stream. The base of supplies was still at
White House, on the Pamunkey. "The
ground turned into vast swamp" says Gen.
Webb, "and the guns in battery sank into
the earth 10y their own weight"
Mcclellan began again in this swamp his
favorite work of throw ing up intrenchments.
The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-06-30

them could only cover their retreat and stop
the Confederate pursuit.
1t was Hoods and McLaw's Texan brigades
OF Writings division, that at last broke Fit2
John Porter's line. The regular and zouave
regiments did not break.
In the fight of Gaines Mill two regiments,
one of New Jersey, the other of Pennsylvania,
were surrounded and taken prisoners. With
them Eas Brig Gen. Reynolds.
Under the protection of Meagher's and
French's brigades Porter's whole corps, what
was left of it, retreated to the south bank of
the Chickahominy Some of his artillery
was left behind.
Thus one corps and division of McClel-
lan's army was made to fight more than two
thirds of the whole Confederate army around
Richmond. III this bloody battle Porter's
corps lost 6,0G0 men, killed, wounded and
prisoners; the Confederates, $500.
Morning found Fitz John Porter's corps
across the river, and the bridges destroyed
behindit Stoneman's and Emory's cavalry,
cut off from the rest of the corps, escaped by
the way of White House and Yorktown, and
went down the York river and up the James
and rejoined the army of the Potomac.
During the Peninsula campaign the French
princes, the Due de Cbartres and the Comte
de Paris, received thorough experience of
American warfare. They served as aides OH
McClellans staff, with the rank of captain,
from September, 1861, to the close of the
seven days fighting. They were the grand
sons of King Louis Philippe, and were the
same two princes that have been recently ex-
lied by the French government. With their
uncle, the Prince de Joinville, they followed
the fortunes of the army OF the Potomac
They were brave, dashing young fellows
then, full of fun and merriment. They kept
up their own establishment, with their uncle,
who was very deaf. Some Of McClellan's
happiest hours were passed in their tent, in
those weary days.
At midnight after the disaster at Gaines
Mill Mcclellan sat in his tent and wrote to
Secretary Stanton a Dispatch the like Of
which was never sent by a soldier to his su-
periors before: "If l save this army now,
tell you plainly that owe no thanks to you
or to any other persons i'll Washington. You
laye done your best to sacrifice this army"
Then he announced to his officers his intention
TO begin his march south to the James. AZ
daybreal he was at Savage station, on the
York and Richmond railroad, breaking camp
and preparing for the journey to the James.
By noon that day, June %, Keyes' division
had crossed White Oak swamp and taken po-
sition on the other side of it to guard the pas
sage of ammunition and provision trains.
Summers, Heintzelman's and part of Frank.
Inns corps were to remain on the Richmond
side of White Oak swamp, to cover the move
nlent Of retreat, 1t was well planned
There was slight action On the mornng
of the 2Sth. 4 heavy Confederate artillery
The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-06-30

column. Thus McClellans army on the north
bank Of the Chickahominy would be involved
front and rear, and could be cut to pieces.
But for the first time in his life Stonewall
Jackson was late. The two Hills and Long
street carried out their part of the pro-
gramne attacking tho Federal front as it
faced south on the Chickahominy. Their
work was with the Federal left, Jackson's
with the right.
A P. Hills advance had driven the Union
pickets back to the main line at EIlison's
Mil. There was time enough for the Federals
to form in battle line. Hill and Longstreet
advanced in the teeth of tremendous fire of
mosketry and artillery from the heights
around Eilisons Mill. The firing came from
Gen. Seymour, who held the left. The Con-
federates had hoped to turn the Union flank
and cut the left to pieces In the midst of
deadly fire they were hurled back, and the
movement failed, and so the battle of Me-
chanicsville ended. 1t had lasted from
o'clock in the afternoon till g. McCalrs men
were in the bloodiest of the contest. The Con-
federates lost between 5000 and 1900, the
Federals about 400.
Next morning Mcclellan resolved to retreat
south and take up q position on the James. He
found for certain that Jackson was in his vicin
ity with a large force, and had only been de-
tanned by some Federal skirmishers at Tolo-
potomy creek, north Of Mechanicsvile
Here some military critics declare Mcclellan
made another mistake. The Confederates had
left Richmond protected only by $4,000 men
-Huger's and Magruders divisions-on the
9th. After the Federal victory at Mechanics
vile if Mcclellan had unexpectedly and Wig
orously attacked Richmond, he could have
cut Lees army in two. Magruder indeed, ex-
pected it. He wrote in his report: Il passed
the night without sleep Had Mcclellan
massed his whole force in column, and adj
vanced it against any point of our line of bat
tie, as was done at Austerlitz under similaf'
circumstances by the greatest captain of any
age, r 4 the occupation of our WORKS
about Richmond, and consequently the ciiy,
might have been his reward.".
But Mcclellan did not do it. He began to
retreat to the James.
The second battle of the seven days fight
| ing was that at Gaines Mill, or Cold Harbor,
| June 81.
Mcclellan made ready for his right wing
to cross the Chickahominy. During the night
of the Goth the heavy guns and wagons were
sent across to the south bank Porters corps,
the Fifth, was drawn up at Gaines Mills, a
! position several miles south of Mechanics
VILE This place was between Cold Harbor
and the ChickahOminy.
The Confederates had not retreated An
other attack was to be made on Fitz John
| Porter's corps, north of the Chickahom1ny,
next day.
,;ai,.a 10
The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-06-30
still jackson was held back whole day and
evening by the Federals
Still, is the story told
How well Horatius kept the bridge
In no hfn11 4 1ne.a

Still, is the story told
How well Horatius kept the bridge
In the brave days of old
During the night the Federal forces dropped
southwark, still heading toward Malvern
Hill
The same day, in the afternoon, the hot
fight at Glendale came off. ct Willis church,
near the village, McCall's division was posted
1t had suffered frightfully at Mechanicsville
and GaiI.Ss Mill, having been reduced from
10000 to 5000; but it was here again, fighting
in the thickest of the battle at Glendale
Kearney's division was at the right of Mccall,
as they faced southwark. Summers corps
was to the left of Mccall, with Hooker's
division on Summers left. Hooker and Rear.
ney belonged to Heintzelman's corps.
Longstreet had hoped to gain the intersec-
ton of the Long Bridge road before the Fed
erals could pass it. But he was too late.
Keyes' and Pcrter's corps had already passed
Heintzelman's and Summers men were at
Glendale, with only Franklin in the rear at
White Oak bridge.
LongstIeet, finding SO many Federals at
Glendale, was obliged to wait till MagrJder
came up. Gen. Lee and jefferson Davis were
with Longstrcet, waiting to see the battle
Gen. Couch took prominent part ia the
first battle of Malvern Hill, which closed the
The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-06-30

GEN PHIL hEARSET AItSfWafd ne served
in the Mexican war; and lost arm while gal
lantly leading charge July 2, 1862, at the close
OF AeCiellaI's Peninsula -ampaign, ne was pro-
NOTED TO Il major genet Alshp for gallantry, He
did not long live to enjoy LIS new honor, however.
He was killed at Cha LILLY, Va, Sept. 1, two
months later.
There was fighting al along the line that
bloody Monday, dune 2n. Back at White Oak
Swamp bridge, on its south side Gems Smith,
Richardson and Nagle were posted with their
commands and Ayres' and Hazards bat
teries. They had crossed White Oak Swamp
bridge ana destroyed il beuind them. Jack
son came up in hot pursuit, and there was
desperate fighting. Hazard was mortally
wounded and h.s tAttery cut to pieces, Eut